Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.
cursing.in curse like a local

Portuguese · Football & the Terraces

Frango

FRAHN-goo · /ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu/

A soft goal the keeper should have saved; a howler

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"Chicken"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Pure football jargon: when a goalkeeper lets a weak, savable shot slip in, he "tomou um frango" (took a chicken) or "frangueou." Legendary blunders live forever as frangos. Clean, purely about the sport. A must-know for watching a game with locals.

Heard in the wild

Que frango! A bola passou por baixo da mão dele.

What a howler! The ball went right under his hand.

Where it lands

Brazil (universal).

Quick answers

What does "Frango" mean?
In Portuguese, "Frango" means "A soft goal the keeper should have saved; a howler". Literally it's "Chicken". Pure football jargon: when a goalkeeper lets a weak, savable shot slip in, he "tomou um frango" (took a chicken) or "frangueou." Legendary blunders live forever as frangos. Clean, purely about the sport. A must-know for watching a game with locals.
Is "Frango" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "Frango"?
Say it "FRAHN-goo" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu.

Related in Portuguese

Perna de pau PEHR-nah jee POW A terrible player / clumsy on the ball Pipoqueiro pee-poh-KAY-roo A player who chokes in big games Fominha foh-MEE-nyah Ball hog / someone who won't share Juiz ladrão! zhoo-EES lah-DROWN The ref's a crook! / You're robbing us, ref! Craque KRAH-kee Star player / ace / a genius at something Jogar com raça zhoh-GAR kohng HAH-sah To play with heart, grit, and hunger

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Tough luck".

how to say "Tough luck" →

Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.